Argument Essay Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Benefits of Legalized Marijuana - Research Paper Example The evidence demonstrates that legalizing cannabis for medicinal in addition to general purposes would prove a benefit to society, evidence which is well-known throughout the scientific, political and public arena but this collective knowledge has yet to be acted upon. The economic feasibility of decriminalizing marijuana has become a much-discussed subject in recent years. The federal government presently spends a lot of capital on law enforcement to combat distributors and producers of drugs. By legalizing drugs this could eradicate much of the profit, bloodshed, and corruption of that trade. If legalizing drugs is to have a positive effect on the crime rate, drugs must be made both inexpensive and available. Studies have repetitively suggested that prohibiting marijuana in the U.S. has not shown to be efficient or effective. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, â€Å"U.S. ... â€Å"Many critics argue that the increased toughness of that policy has done more harm than good. Some go so far as to suggest that drugs should simply be legalized† (Caulkins, et al. 2005). If marijuana were legalized, governments would have the ability to regulate quality and, like alcohol, the ages allowed to purchase and the ability to add safety warnings to help educate users. People in this country who only use small amounts of marijuana have routinely been arrested and jailed for mere possession; actions that don’t take drugs off the streets or persuade more people to quit using them. At the same time, imprisoning those who possess marijuana creates a burden on society as tax dollars must be increased to support these people who are no longer free to secure employment outside prison. The domino effect of this circumstance puts more children and their families onto the welfare role, contributing to their consequential failure and dependence on society. (â€Å"En gland.† 2006) â€Å"In the United States, drug use is illegal and the police hunt down drug users to throw them in prison. Four thousand people died from illegal drugs in the US last year and we now have more than 600,000 people in prison on drug charges.†Ã‚  

My Attitude to the God is Dead Phrase of Friedrich Nietzsche Essay - 8

My Attitude to the God is Dead Phrase of Friedrich Nietzsche - Essay Example As a result, he argues that God can only do things that other humans can do. He also argues that God can die. He specifically argues that ‘there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross’ (p. 109). This further shows Nietzsche’s opinion that the founder of Christianity, who was crucified, never resurrected. According to Nietzsche’s history, he was a learned person, a professor, and the people whom he associated with were also respected. Wagner, whom he saw as a father, for example, influenced him. Their relationship however ended because he revolted against him. Nietzsche then tried to establish a love relationship with Lou Salome but the relationship did not succeed. This negatively affected him and he resigned from his work at a university. He then wrote a number of books before suffering from mental illness in the year 1889 and meeting his death in the year 1900. A majority of his writings discredited Christian religious beliefs. I do not agree with Nietzsche’s opinion because of many reasons. While Nietzsche argues that all humans, including God, should be treated equally, he does not appreciate the possibility that God may be the creator of the universe. He also does not explain an alternative origin of nature to oppose the possibility that God created the universe. This, therefore, means that he believes that God has supernatural powers that created the universe. If God created the universe then he has higher powers than any other creature. Therefore, Nietzsche’s opinion that God and other beings are equal is not true. Similarly, his opinion that there existed only one Christian is not true. This is because a Christian is a person who follows the doctrines that Jesus Christ taught. History identifies a number of people who devoted their lives to following the doctrines. Many people also follow the doctrines of this generation.

Crossing Borders - Interracial Dating Essay Example for Free

Crossing Borders Interracial Dating Essay In the hodge-podge of American culture you are bound to find interracial dating. There are many differences between people. One that is obvious to the naked eye is the difference of race. In the society that we live in it is sometimes difficult for people of different races to be a couple. The Dominant Culture puts out an invisible border that separates people of different races. In an experiment that I did with a white friend named Michelle, we went out as a couple. Me being Indian and her being Caucasian posed some difficulties for some people to understand. We first went to a park and decided that we would just sit on the swings. There was another little Caucasian girl next to us. The next thing I saw really surprised me and Michelle. The mother of that little girl came and quickly grabbed her daughter and brought her to another part of the playground. All along, the mother looked at me and Michelle in a weird way. After that, we went to the shopping mall. Keeping in mind that we are in a predominantly white suburb, we held hands at the stores. People looked at us as if we were from another planet. I guess they could not believe that an Indian guy and a white girl could be going out on a date. We even brought another one of my friends to see the reaction of other people that me and Michelle could not see. Our other friend, Jim, said that many people kept on starring at us. Also that some people were whispering about us after they had passed us up. This really was a surprise to me. This experiment that I did was a real eye-opener because it gave me the evidence that people really were not happy seeing different races dating. Although this is not the opinion of all people, it seemed to be the opinion of a quite a number of people. These people are what keep the invisible border present in society. The real question that I asked myself is why this happened. One conclusion I came to was that since this was a primarily white suburb, people would not be too open to different races just being there. If someone different from them was to come into their society, it would be natural for them to not accept them. Especially in a situation that involved dating, people would be closed minded. Not only would they want themselves having nothing to do with interracial dating, they would want others of their same race not to be involved with interracial dating. The white people in this suburb probably looked down upon Michelle for being with an Indian guy. Furthermore, the events of September 11th did not help this situation either. Ever since that date, Indian people have been clumped into the whole middle-eastern terrorist category. This just gives the people of this suburb a reason to denounce me and our relationship. Much of this anger comes out of stereotypes. Since these people think that most middle-eastern people are bad or somehow connected to terrorism, this creates a stereotype that I am labeled with. Another reason we got such a hard time is that our cultures did not match up. Even though we have similar values, the customs of Caucasians and Indians are obviously different. Many people in the suburbs that we saw probably did not understand my culture, so what they do not understand, they do not like. People still have stereotypes of Indians. They might think that we cannot speak English or that we smell. These stereotypes bring the Indians in a lower regard with the dominant culture. Why is it harder for black and white couple to be accepted by society rather then an Indian and a white couple? This particular question can be answered in many ways. One of the many reasons is that social standards are set in our community that base blacks down the totem pole. Blacks have been discriminated against from the start of slavery and to this day in some rare cases. The dominant culture has looked down upon blacks because of their skin color for many generations. This is cause for the dominant culture to look down upon blacks. When it comes to Indians, some white people perceive Indians as somewhat semi-British. Whites are less prone to be against a relationship with an Indian person. It is more accepted for Indians to date white people because the dominant culture holds Indians in higher regards than blacks. It is because of biased thinking that this notion came into being. After everything, people are still not open to other ideas or beliefs. Even though the dominant culture puts out an invisible border, that border is becoming more visible with stereotypes that are put out there. This invisible border is displayed by their actions when they see interracial couples. They make it more difficult for these couples to be together. Other things like September 11th added to this invisible border in me and Michelles case. What this means is that the majority of our society will be closed minded to interracial dating. What it also means is that the racial lines will be erased if these couples get married and have children. The dominant culture wants to keep the races separate. In relating my experience with Michelle in that suburb, I felt like we should not be together as a couple. The reactions I got made me feel like I did something wrong. It is this feeling the invisible border is suppose to bring to me. I realized this only in the end. It is up me to decide who I date. It should be the concern of the two people that are dating and not the society.

Cultural Differences in Psychology: Indigenous Psychology

Cultural Differences in Psychology: Indigenous Psychology Bedia, Ben Joseph People often attribute culture with cultural products such as the food they eat, the music they listen to, the dance that their body imitates and with psychological constructs such as beliefs, values, and norms. But in order to have a deeper understanding of culture, one should dig in to bodies of knowledge such as superstition, history, and language. In understanding culture, one should take an insider’s view who is capable of feeling, thinking, and identifying themselves as members of the culture. The creation and re- creation of culture is a continuous process and starts every time a child is born. With this, new patterns of relationships between the person and the environment develops and is also shared with others. Several units of the society such as tribes, clans, and families make strategies to cope and adapt with natural conditions that affects their livelihood and entire existence (Segall et al., 1990). Culture makes human beings unique from animals because without culture, people would not be able to think and behave the way they do. Humans are able to communicate with one another, make meaningful conversations, are able to manage their physical and social world, and more importantly, they make their own identity. All of these are because of culture. There are two approaches in understanding culture: understanding a culture from within and understanding a culture from without but I will only discuss about understanding a culture from within because the concern is to understand culture in the Filipino context. Results of years of psychological research have been disappointing since data have been based with objective third- person analysis (Kim, 199; Koch Leary, 1985). Two types of knowledge are identified in indigenous psychology. The first one are semantic, analytic, and declerative which is about information about impartial, objective analysis and the second one is about phenomenological, episodic, and procedural knowledge describes the subjective first- person experience. With these, it is really hard to understand culture because each person has each own approach and views. That is why scholars have developed Sikolohiyang Pilipino or Filipino Psychology. According to Enriquez (1994a), Sikolohiyang Pilipino wants to explain Philippine realities putting into consideration distinct Filipino values, characteristics, and experiences which other psychological models fail to explain. Western methods and concepts are the ones being used in the education and practice of psychology in the Philippines and there applicability to the Filipino culture and society is being questioned by Filipino scholars. But the prevalence of western psychology is not only felt in the Philippines but as well as in other countries around the globe and this led to the development of indigenous psychology. A characteristic that defines Sikolihiyang Pilipino is the use of Filipino language for research and writing. SP scholars have noted that the use of native languages are important sources in the construction of native constructs as it can reach a wider audience and can contribute to the development of national identity (Enriquez, 1994b; Enriquez Marcelino, 1984; Javier, 1996; Rood, 1985; Salazar, 1982b, 1991; Sibayan, 1994). Research also shows that the language used in data collection reflects the identity and quality of the data (Church, Katigbak, Castaà ±eda, 1988; see Church, 1986, pp. 106–113, for a review). Two types of indigenous psychologies were identified by Enriquez (1993). Indigenization from within and indigenization from without. Indigenization from within involves the development of methods, concepts, and theories within the Philippines while indigenization from without involves the transfer of western psychological methods, concepts, and theories and modify it to fit local culture. These types of psychologies aim to understand how people behave naturally and when they interact with the real world. Several challenges have been encountered in the indigenization of psychology in the Philippines. One example is hybridization. Hybridization can be seen as a result of intercultural marriages as it results to the combination of existing beliefs and practices forming into new forms creating new identities. In other words, it is a transformation of existing culture into new ones (Pieterse, 1995; Rowe Schelling, 1991). The stronger the hybridization, the greater the influence it has to the person and this has both negative and positive effects. Another challenge is the one according to Wilkinson (1995). He states that is there is only on civilization and those who interact intensely, continuously, and significantly belong to one civilization even if it is a hostile interaction and their cultures are very dissimilar. These criterion were made by Wilkinson because according to him warfare, conflict, and even hostility when frequent creates a system for socialization composed by the antagonists and protagonists who cannot live in isolation. Glocalization is an attempt to fuse the global and the local. One best example is micromarketing in which global brands are tailoring their products to fit in the local market through advertisements, In order for their products to sell, they should incorporate locality. For example, in selling a shampoo brand in the Philippines, international brands should have a sachet version of it because Filipinos love to use small versions of products as it make them save more money. The third challenge is cultural complexity in which again discusses the diversity of methods that culture is taught and understood. Technology had a big help with these. Dubbed as â€Å"machineries of meanings†, they enable personal communication even without the presence of one another (Hannerz,1992). If I were to study Filipino culture in a psychological lens, I would take into view social class as culture. Social class divides the society into elements such as schools, forms of recreation, the neighbourhood they choose to live, and the choice of food to eat (Domhoff, 1998). A person’s everyday life is controlled by his or her social class and it is already becoming a cultural identity. Objective social class refers to wealth, social behaviours, and preferences and these signals other people on how to perceive us. Social class can also be seen in non- verbal behaviour such as head- nods and eye contact for the lower- class individuals and less eye contact and head- nods for upper- class individuals. When a person identifies himself into a social class, he or she also identifies himself into a hierarchy and hierarchies provide individuals access to privilege and resources. A person’s social rank also affects his or her social cognition. For example, lower- class individual’s decisions are influenced by external factors such as their bosses, government policies etc. as compared to upper- class individuals where their lives are more individualistic in which they decide whatever decision they would like to make on their own. In other words, lower- class people just tend to follow what upper- class people tell them because they think that upper- class individuals know-it-all and they would not question that. A perfect example for me is our household helper. I noticed that whenever my mom tells her to do some errands, she just always say yes without having any questions. I later on concluded that maybe because she thinks that my mom is knowledgeable enough and that no further question should be asked. Research has shown that individuals with low income blame educational opportunity as the reason for their poverty and wealth problems as opposed to upper- class individuals where they attribute their situation with their disposition. Emotional empathy also differs with your social class. Kraus Keltner (2009) noted that lower- class individuals are more engaged and reliant with others. Also, research indicates that having less makes a person more sensitive to others, interacts more, and is more emphatic leading to the theory that lower- class individuals are more prosocial. A study by Piff et al., (2010) found that individuals with lower socio- economic status gave more to charity than upper- class individuals. References: Enriquez, V.G. (1994a). From colonial to liberation psychology:  The Philippine experience. Manila: De La Salle University  Press. Enriquez, V.G. (1993). Developing a Filipino psychology. In U. Kim and J.W. Berry (Eds), Indigenous Psychologies: Research and experience in cultural contetxt (pp. 152-169). Newburry Park. CA: Sage. Segall, MH.—Kim 2000   (Kim, 199; Koch Leary, 1985). Enriquez, V.G. (1994b). Pagbabangong-dangal : Indigenous psychology  and cultural empowerment. Quezon City, Philippines:  Akademya ng Kultura at Sikolohiyang Pilipino. Enriquez, V.G., Marcelino, E.P. (1984). Neo-colonial politics  and language struggle in the Philippines: National consciousness  and language in Philippine psychology. Quezon City,  Philippines: Akademya ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino, Philippine  Psychology Research and Training House. Javier, R.E., Jr (1996). Sikolohiyang Pilipino: Papaloob o papalabas?  [Sikolohiyang Pilipino: Inward or outward?]. Layag, 1,  51–56. Rood, S. (1985). Language and Philippine social science. In A.  Aganon S.M.A. David (Eds.), New directions in indigenous  psychology: Sikolohiyang Pilipino: Isyu, pananaw at kaalaman  [Filipino psychology: Issues, views and knowledge] (pp.  76–90). Manila: National Book Store. Salazar, Z.A. (1982b). Ilang batayan para sa isang sikolohiyang  Pilipino [Some bases for a Filipino psychology]. In R. Pe-Pua  (Ed.), Sikolohiyang Pilipino: Teorya, metodo at gamit [Filipino  psychology: Theory, method and application] (pp. 45–55). Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Psychology Research  and Training House. (Reprinted from Ulat ng unang pambansang  kumperensya sa sikolohiyang Pilipino [Proceedings of  the 1st National Conference on Filipino Psychology], pp. 33–48, by L.F. Antonio, E.S. Reyes, R.E. Pe, N.R. Almonte  (Eds.), 1976, Quezon City, Philippines: Pambansang Samahan  sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino.) Sibayan, B.P. (1994). The teaching of the technical disciplines in  Filipino.Unitas, 67, 88–99. Church, A.T., Katigbak, M.S., Castaà ±eda, I. (1988). The  effects of language of data collection on derived conceptions  of healthy personality with Filipino bilinguals. Journal of  Cross-Cultural Psychology, 19, 178–192. Pieterse, J.N. (1995). Globalization as hybridization. In M. Featherstone,  S. Lash, R. Robertson (Eds.), Global modernities (pp.  45-68). London: Sage. Rowe, W., Schelling, V. (1991). Memory and modernity: Popular  culture in Latin America. London: Verso. Wilkinson, D. (1995). Central civilizations. In S. K. Sanderson (Ed.),  Civilizations and world systems: Studying world-historical change  (pp. 46-74). LondHannerz, U. (1992). Cultural complexity: Studies in the social organization  of meaning. New York: Columbia University Press.on: Altamira Press. Consumer Choice Behaviour: UK Nightclub Industry Analysis Consumer Choice Behaviour: UK Nightclub Industry Analysis From about 1900 to 1920, working class Americans got together at bar to dance with the music played on a piano or a jukebox, and this is the early origin of the nightclub (Smith, 2001, p. 3). Nowadays, in general perspective, the Nightclub is a word can represents the entertainment and social nightlife. And in recently decades the nightclub has become one of the most important parts of modern entertainment industry (Peretti, 2007, p. 4). It is clearly that, compared with the pub and bar, the nightclub not only has some similitudes, but also has more own characteristics. The nightclub sells alcoholic drink and put music as pub and bar. However, nightclub generally has dance floor and a DJ booth, the music always includes hip hop, rock, reggae and some house music (Smith, 2001, p. 5). To some extent, nightclub mixed the advantages of pub and bar, it has more entertaining and more modernity. As Smith (2001, p. 9) claimed that the nightclub industry is bright and profitable in the coming future, and this industry will probably has more influences on economic growth. For example, a positive phenomenon of U.S. shows that after consumer spending declined on nightclub industry in 2009, consumer spending is probably has a noteworthy growth in 2010 (Bars, Nightclubs Drinking Establishments report in IBISWORLD, Jan 04 2011). And this kind of situation is happening in UK. In UK, there are 332,700 people working in the pubs, bars and nightclub industry, 40% of this people is working for nightclub. Therefore, the nightclub provides a huge number of job opportunities to society Pub, bar and nightclub industry workforce report in WARWICK, March 2010). Consequently, now the nightclub industry is playing a significant role in UKs economy. Although the nightclub industry is important, in the academic circles there is a few literatures were related to the consumer behaviour of this industry. Moreover, in nightclub industry, less than 20% of entertainment venues capture 80% of the market share (Nightclubs | A business where 20% continue to make 80% of the money cited in NIGHTCLUBBIZ, 08 February 2010). And there is no authoritative and coincident academic theory to explain this unbalanced phenomenon. Therefore, more and more attention began to focus on this interesting unbalanced situation. What are the main factors dominating consumer choice in nightclub industry and what is the core competitive advantage in this truly competitive market. Obviously, the nightclub industry is a bright and profitable industry over the next few decades. Therefore, realizing the main factor dominating consumers choice behaviour is useful and significant. This dissertation will make an in depth look into the nightclub industry and investigate the main factors dominating consumers choice behaviour. And then, provide some theoretical supports for understanding consumers choice behaviour in this industry. Moreover, use the research results to provide some positive suggestion about the marketing and promotions strategies in the nightclub industry. Literature Review Obviously, nightclub industry is truly different from other industries, such as food, medical, clothing and so on. These kinds of industries produce tangible products. However, the nightclub industry provides tangible products and intangible service together (Rigakos, 2008, p. 12). To some extent, the intangible service is more difficult to promote and also uncontrollability. Therefore, investigate the main factors which dominate the consumers choice behaviour in this industry is arduous task. Firstly, looking back the previous academic theories, Baker (1999) demonstrated that marketing is a process that can provide the products to the consumers, and this process includes four factors; they are product, price, place and promotion. Additionally, Keller (2003, p. 7) claimed that brand take on special meaning to consumers. It is a significant source of competitive advantage of the manufacturers. Fill (2006, p. 8) suggests that the marketing communication can add value through enhanced product and organisational symbolism. Egan (2008, p. 16) and Buttle (2009, p. 14) demonstrate that the customer relationship management is a positive technology to enhance the achievement of enterprise, helping broader organizational goals. In the secondary research procedure, this dissertation will take these academicians theories as the basic theoretical supports. After the secondary research studying in this area, it can be seen that in nightclub industry there are several factors can influence the consumers choice behaviour. According to the basic theories and through the preliminary assessment, these factors can be separated by two parts, internal and managerial. The internal factors includes: music, light, price and security. The managerial factors includes: brand value, promotion and customer relationship management. First of all, some perspectives support that the music is the core competitive advantage of a nightclub. The main types of music in nightclub include hip hop, rock, reggae and pop music and so on. And different consumer groups have different demands to the music (Smith, 2001, p. 219). Therefore, comfortable musical environment is an important factor could be influence the consumers choice behaviour. Then the other internal facilities factor is light. On the topic of professional writing and referencing Smith (2001, p.131) states: Light set the mood, like many other things, light play an important role in establishing an overall mood, and if the place is hopping, it usually results in an easy decision for customers to enter and if it is not, they may leave. Furthermore, sometimes the price is also an important element to influence consumers choices behaviour. That is not to say price is cheaper is better. It is mean that in this industry, there should be different price ranges for different consumer groups (Engelson, 1995, p. 33). For example, there is a figure shows that per person spending on average from  £12 to  £31 one night (A basic overview of nightclub and bar investments cited in NIGHTCLUBBIZ, 08 February 2010). Different consumer groups have different attitudes on same price. Therefore, some consumers with high consumption would probably choose the high price service or product. Opposite, the low consumption consumers would be more price-sensitive (Engelson, 1995, p. 35). Consequently, to some degree the price is probably an important factor can influence the customer choice behaviour. Recently, the security problem is raising a key master of the nightclub industry. That is because there are several malignant cases were re lated with nightclub. For example, a man died after a shooting outside a nightclub in Winter Garden on 5 April 2001 (One killed in shooting outside Winter Garden club cited in ORLANDOSENTINEL, 05 April 2011). And in earlier time, there is another homicide case happened in East London nightclub (Murder at Boheme nightclub cited in MURDERMAP, 27 March 2011). Except the malignant cases, the fire disaster is another frequent threat to the security of nightclub (McManus OToole, 2005, p. 244). Therefore, the consumers put more and more attention on security of nightclub. The first managerial factor is brand value. Rigakos (2008, p. 46) mentioned that the brand value to a nightclub is crucial adjective. And the brand value can make your nightclub stand out from the rest and potential customers need to be able to find your nightclub. Moreover, Peretti (2007, p. 201) comments that create a brand name is significant step for building fame in the nightclub industry, sometimes the brand value is the key matter for earning profit in this industry. Therefore, the brand value is a significant element in the process of the consumers choice behaviour. Secondly, promotion for the nightclub is a significant element. Compared with other industry, the customers of nightclub industry have more mobility. It is meant in this industry the average customer loyalty is lower than traditional industry. Hence, this industry needs more promotions activities (Coe, 2009, p. 102). Some simple promotions technologies can results in an easy decision for consumers to enter the nig htclub. Such as the free hats, shirts, and carry bags. According to the academic work of Egan (2008, p. 16), the customer relationship management is not just sent an email to customers. It is also not simply sent the invitation on Facebook. The customer relationship is becoming the major trend in marketing and the key mater of nightclub promotion process. It is clearly that, customers prefer to the nightclub with favorable customer relationship management. Consequently, from the analyzing the related material, the customer relationship management is probably can be a main factor dominating the customers choice behaviour. Finally, through reading the literatures it is can be found that there are some factors are basic. Such as the price, security, music, favorable traffic condition and convenient parking conditions. That is to say if the nightclub investor wants get customers into nightclub and make profit, these factors are necessary. Expect there necessary conditions, the brand, promotion and customer relationship management are the extended conditions. Therefore, in the process of primary research, this project will investigate these factors can dominate the consumers choice behaviour or not. And if there has influence on the consumers choice behaviour, how much is the degree of the influence. Research Question and Aims The proposed research question is to explore what are the main factors can dominate the consumers choice behaviour in UK nightclub industry. As motioned previously, there are many factors have influences on customers choice behaviour. And what are the decisive factors can dominate the consumers choice behaviour in this competitive market? This project is designed to investigate the current situation of UK nightclub market and find out the core factors which can decides the consumers choice behaviour in this industry. Then, in order to help the owners of nightclub in UK can better realise the customers intend propose and need, increasing the profitability. Proposed Method Research strategy Form the research question and aim; this project will focus on investigating the main factors which can dominate the consumers choice behaviour. That is to say, why the consumer choice A nightclub rather than B nightclub? What are the main reasons of the consumption behaviours? Therefore, the emphasis of this project will focus on the consumer side. However, that is not to say the information come from the operator of nightclub is useless. This project will also adopt the case study method, choosing some successful nightclubs as the samples of case study. Interview the operators of the nightclub or do some participant observation works for collecting the useful data from the nightclub operators. According to the research methods literature; this project will adopt the qualitative and quantitative research methods together to get the research result. And the main basic theoretical supports come from Bryman and Bell (2007), Saunder (2007) and Easterby-Smith, et al. (2002). Research design Several research designs were considered. Consequently, cross-sectional design, longitudinal design, Multiple-case study design and comparative design was decided as the practical and appropriate research designs due to the restraints imposed by time and accessibility (Bryman Bell, 2007, p. 44-66). The reasons of choosing these kinds of research designs have four: firstly, this research will adopt the questionnaire and structured interviewing methods, and the cross-sectional design is an appropriate research design to analyse the data come from the questionnaire and structured interviewing (Saunder, et al., 2007, p. 153). Secondly, in this research, it will adopt the case study method to analyse several nightclubs. Therefore, it meant there will be Multiple-case study design. Because the case study research always includes longitudinal factors, and the longitudinal design is also an effective way to analyse the changes happened inside of the cases (Saunder, et al., 2007, p. 161). He nce, it will be also adopted in this research. Thirdly, the comparative design is appropriate for analysing the external elements of the cases (Bryman Bell, 2007, p. 66). It can be used to investigate the differentiations and similarities among different nightclubs. Research method In this research, it will first collect the related literatures about the research topic, analysing the similarities and differentiation among different literatures, and then, obtain the background of this topic and the general theoretical framework about this field (Easterby-Smith, et al., 2002, p. 60). Secondly, this research will use the primary research methods to glean the original data. In this procedure, it will include questionnaire, interview, participant observation and some internet research methods (Easterby-Smith, et al., 2002, p. 168). The questionnaire will be used in the structured interview, and the self-completion questionnaires would not be adopted in this research, because the limitation of lower response rates and not prompt (Bryman Bell, 2007, p. 242). The types of interview will include structured, unstructured and semi-structured interview. The structured interview will be used in the process of questionnaire, and the unstructured and semi-structured intervie w will be adopted to interview the operators of nightclubs. Additionally, the participant observation will be used to analyse the nightclubs which the research selects as the samples (Easterby-Smith, et al., 2002, p. 76). Access issues This research will choose the Newcastle nightclub market as the research sample. The reason for doing have two. One is Newcastle upon Tyne is famous for its entertainment, and especially the nightlife culture. And a new survey by Luxardo sambuca reveals that Newcastle followed Manchester as the second most offers for nightlife city in UK (Top UK Nightlife City Survey cited in PRNEWSWIR, 25 November 2011). Therefore, the Newcastle nightclub market has its strong representativeness of the UK nightclub industry. Two is I am a student in Newcastle University, I live in Newcastle, for the reason of restraints imposed by time and accessibility therefore I choose Newcastle nightclub market as the sample is reasonable and viable. And after determine the sample this project will try to glean the data from consumers by questionnaire. And this research will print two hundreds paper questionnaires and the questionnaires will be distributed by structured interview around the city centre and in fr ont of door of the nightclubs. The electronic questionnaires will be distributed by email or put on the websites. For example, establish a group discussion on Facebook or Twitter. Furthermore, this research will attempt to interview fifteen nightclub operators in Newcastle, obtaining their perspectives about the dissertation question for supplementing the data come from consumers. And until now, I have two interviewees were selected, one is my classmate, he is the main operator of the Voodooers party in Newcastle. The other one is the manager of Sinners. Because that I have operated some private parties in her nightclub. Therefore, she would like to be an interviewee of my interview and would like to introduce other nightclub managers to me. And this project will search for more interviewees in May. Proposed work plan April: The design of questionnaire Check the quality and viable of the questionnaire Send the questionnaires and analysis of questionnaires data Continue to search for the interviewees Continue the secondary research work and contact with the interviewees of interview May: Carry out the interviews and record the process of interview Finish the report of interview June: Analysing all of the primary data and contrast the results of the secondary research and primary research Start writing the final dissertation July to August: Finish the writing of dissertation Ethical issue In this research it will adopt a series of research methods. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention on the ethical issue. Firstly, it should keep the rule of reciprocity and trust; create a favourable research environment (Bryman Bell, 2007: 144). Secondly, In the process of questionnaire, it should keep the principles of voluntary participation and informed consent, it means the respondents must be fully informed about the procedures and risks involved in research and give their consent to participate (Bryman Bell, 2007: 137). Thirdly, in the process of participant observation, it should avoid the harm of participants to the respondent, and keep a certain distance from the respondents in hope that avoiding the negative influence and maintaining the objective of the data. Furthermore, in the process of data analysing, do not destroy the privacy of the respondents. Moreover, protect the security of data after finish research (Bryman Bell, 2007: 143). Consequently, only under t he ethical principles, the research is reasonable and significance, the results of research can be objective and credible. Limitations The most serious limitation of this research is that the secondary literatures are not adequate. Therefore, to some extent, the primary research is the key matter of this research. Hence, the quality of the primary research decides the results and the quality of this project. Consequently, if the collection and analysis of primary data are not reasonable, then the results of the research will not representative (Easterby-Smith, et al., 2002, p. 128). Therefore, in the process of designing questionnaire and the procedure of analysing the data should be more cautious and systemic. The second limitation is that the size of the sample. It is common that bigger size sample will make minimum biased (Bryman Bell, 2007: 242). Hence, I am not sure that the two hundreds questionnaires will get the representative primary data or not. Whether increase the size of sample or not need to be checked and considered in the practice process. Finally, there is another limitation is that lack of practical experience. I just make sure two interviewees until now. Therefore, I need to contact thirteen interviewees in May. And the worse thing is I did not have any experience about the interview. I need to design a question plan and ask questions in an appropriate way. Consequently, this process for me is a challenge, for the whole research is a limitation. Proposed data handling and analysis Generally speaking, in this research it will obtain plenty of data come from the questionnaire and interview. Therefore, it is important to adopt an appropriate method to analyse the qualitative research data. There are two general strategies of qualitative data analysis were considered. One is analytic induction (Bryman Bell, 2007: 582). The other one is grounded theory (Bryman Bell, 2007: 584). And this project will adopt the grounded theory as the main strategy of qualitative data analysis. The data of the qualitative research will be analysed by the computer software NVivo (Saunder, et al., 2007, p. 480). Moreover, the quantitative data will be analysed by using the normal statistical methods (Saunder, et al., 2007, p. 414). Furthermore, the secondary analysis will be used in both of the quantitative and qualitative research.

Non-conventional Sources of Energy: An Analysis

Non-conventional Sources of Energy: An Analysis CONSERVATION OF ENERGY Energy is a primary input in any industrial operation. Energy is also a major input in sectors such as commerce, transport, telecommunication, etc besides the wide range of services required in the household industrial sectors. (A) What Do We Mean by Alternative Energy? The alternative-energy segment of the energy industry covers a broad range of sources. These sources range from well established technologies, such as nuclear energy and hydroelectric power, through high-growth segments such as wind and solar power. They also include less tried and tested alternatives, such as hydrogen-powered, fuel-cell technology for use in electricity generation (7) Renewable sources of energy: It is that energy which is renewed again again. These include wood obtained from forests, petroplants , plant biomass agricultural wastes, wind energy,water energy, geothermal energy, these can reproduce themselves in nature can be harvested continusiously through a sustained proper planning management(B) Non renewable sources of energy: These are available in limited amount develop over a long period of time. They are exhausted one day.these include coal,oil,petroleum, the common source of energy being organic in their origin also called fossil fuel.( B) Conventional source of energy: In most of the fuel wood was consumed for domestic purposes mainly in rural areas, very little of it was available to industrial sector. Coal already in use in industries become a highly priced source. It was then supplemented by mineral oil. Likewise the use of hydro-electricity become dearer the areas where running water needed technology was readily available. After 2nd world war nuclear power was developed. All these sources of energy. All these sources of energy are known as conventional sources of energy. Coal still occupies a central position. (B) Non conventional sources of energy: Non renewable of energy could exhaust one day. Most non renewable sources cause environmental pollution We must conserve non renewable sources by replacing with renewable sources. (B) CONSERVATION OF ENERGY Renewable sources of energy: Non renewable sources of energy: Conventional source of energy Non conventional sources of energy Sources of ener Sources of energy: Primary Secondry 1: primary sources are those which we get from environment.Eg. fossil fuel, nuclear fuel, hydro energy, solar energy, wind energy. 2: secondry sources are those which are derived from primary energy resource. Eg. Petrol, electrical energy, coal burning . (A) Conventional sources of energy: Coal: The heat capacity can be converted into the electricity gas , oil. therefore many thermal super thermal powerstation are located on the coal fields to produce electric power to feeds regional grids.(A) Oil : it was formed more than 300 million year ago. Tiny diatoms are the source of oil. Diatoms are the sea creature in the size of pin head. Diatoms are dead they fell into the sea floor. They buried under the rocks. The rock squeeze the diatoms the energy in the bodies could not escape. The carbon eventually turned into oil under great pressure heat. Oil natural gas are found under ground between rocks in areas where rocks are porous.(C) Natural gas: It is lighter than air . It is made up of methane (made up of carbon hydrogen atoms ch-4). It is found near the petroleum under the earth. It has no odour.it is usually mix with a gas that has strong odour like rotten eggs.(C) NUCLEAR FUSION If light nuclei are forced together, they will fuse with a yield of energy because the mass of the combination will be less than the sum of the masses of the individual nuclei. If the combined nuclear mass is less than that of iron at the peak of the binding energy curve, then nuclear particles will be more tightly bound than they were in the lighter nuclei, and that decrease in mass comes off in the form of the energy according to the Einstein relationship. For elements heavier than iron, fission will yield energy. For potential nuclear energy sources for the Earth, the deuterium-tritium fusion reaction contained by some kind of magnetic confinement seems the most likely path. However, for the fuelling of the stars, other fusion reactions will dominate. (c) NUCLEAR FISSION The nucleus captures the neutron, it splits into two lighter atoms and throws off two or three new neutrons. The two new atoms then emit gamma radiation as they settle into their new states. There are three things about this induced fission -the probability of a U-235 atom capturing a neutron as it passes by is fairly high. -the process of capturing the neutron and splitting happens very quickly, in the order of picoseconds -An incredible amount of energy is released in the form of heat and gamma radiation, when a single atom splits. The two atoms that result from the fission later release beta radiation and gamma radiation of their own as well. The energy released by a single fission Comes from the fact that the fission products and the neutrons, together, weigh less than the original U-235 atom. The difference in weight is converted directly to energy at a rate governed by the equation e=mc2 (C) NUCLEAR REACTOR (1)Light water reactor-We use ordinary water for colling and moderisation these are basic 2 types boiling water reactor pressurised water reactor There are also high temperature gas called reactors which basically of l.w.r type (2):heavy water reactor: the most popular one has been Canadian deuterium uranium reactor. The design is difficult from that of lwr type. The fuel is arranged horizontally rather than the vertically as in l.w.r. (3):liquid metal fast breeder reactor: here we use liquid sodium as the coolent. There are 300 atomic power plant ,operating in world. Max in use (83), Ussr (40), up (35), France(34),Japan 25, Germany 15, Canada 13 India is rich in atomic mineral. Uranium mines are located in singbum in bihar parts of bihar Most abudent source is monazite sands on the shores of kerala. Thorium is derived from these sands. Nuclear power corporation is engaged with the establishment of nucleus. Power plants: 6 nuclear power plants in operation generating 1230 mwe(single individual plant is 210-235mwe). (b) Advantages Nuclear energy has a number of positives going for it. First, it does not give off carbon emissions, earning it supporters in the environmental community among those concerned about global warming. second, once reactors are built, it is very cost effective to keep them running at high capacity and for utilities to address demand fluctuations by cutting back on usage of fossil fuels. Third, nuclear plants tend to last a long time and many existing plants have become more efficient over time, reducing their demand for uranium.and represent reliable sources of supply Disadvantages There are a number of disadvantages to the nuclear-power option. These include not only the safety questions but also some economic and supply-related questions that are currently being debated by those for and opposed to renewal of outdated power plants or an expansion of the sector.In terms of safety, two issues are regularly debated. First, the issue of nuclear waste and, second, concerns over potential terrorist attacks on nuclear power plants. The first objection may be overcome through the introduction of new types of power plants, such as the pebble-bed modular reactor. This type of reactor uses graphite balls flecked with tiny amounts of uranium, rather than conventional fuel rods. With the fuel encased in graphite and impermeable silicon carbide, the theory is that the waste should be relatively easy to dispose of. The terrorism fears are less easily addressed and may ultimately stall the construction of new plants in countries such as the U.S., where these worries are great est. Among economic concerns is the question of construction costs. Although the cost of energy produced by existing nuclear plants is competitive, the upfront capital costs of constructing new plants are extremely high, calculated at $1,300-$1,500 per kilowatt- hour, or twice the amount it costs to construct a gas-fired power station(F) Non Conventional energy source SOLAR ENERGY Two weeks of solar energy is roughly equivalent to the energy stored in all known reserves of coal.oil and natural gas on the earth. Solar energy may be directly used either by active solar system or passive solar system. Another potentially important aspect 0f direct solar energy involves solar cells or photovoltaic that convert sunlight directly into electricity. Two other type of solar energy are the solar power tower and solar ponds.(b) There are two main ways to harness the power of the sun to generate electricity: photovoltaic (PV), where sunlight is directly converted into electricity via solar cells, and solarthermal power. PV is a proven technology that is most appropriate for small-scale applications to provide heat and power to individual houses and businesses. Sunlight falls on a layer of semiconductors, which jostles electrons. This, in turn, creates an electrical current that can be used as a source for heat. Solar PV cells are already cost effective for powering houses and businesses in some regions. As with wind power, technological developments have reduced costs considerably over the last few years. Unlike wind power, however, largescale electricity production using solar energy costs about 22 cents per kilowatt-hour, significantly more expensive than its fossil fuel competitors and nuclear energy. Hopes to reduce these costs lie with newer technologies. Solar-thermal generated energy is only just emerging from the experimental stage to full-scale electricity production. Solar-thermal power concentrates the sun to heat up fuel such as gas or oil. The heat trapped within is then used to convert water into steam, which powers a conventional steam turbine to generate electricity. Fossil fuels are sometimes used as a back-up to heat the water in the boiler if the sun is not shining. There are three different methods for concentrating the suns rays: Parabolic Trough — This method uses long, parallel rows of glass mirrors in the shape of a trough to concentrate the suns rays toward the â€Å"absorber tube† — usually filled with oil — to maximum effect. Power Tower — Similar in principle to parabolic-trough technology, the mirrors are placed in a circular pattern. At the center of the circle is a tower, at the top of which is a receiver filled with water, air, liquid metal or molten salt that moves to a power block and is used to power a steam turbine. Parabolic Disk System — In this system, dishes rather than troughs are used to concentrate the power of the sun. An example of this type of solar project is the 500-megawatt Solar Energy Systems plant being constructed in the Mojave Desert in California. By the end of 2006, the company expects to begin supplying electricity to Southern California Edison (SCE), but will not be fully operational until 2011, when it may account for as much as a 20 percent increase in SCEs electricity generation from renewables(F) Advantages In spite of its cost versus other sources of energy, solar power is attracting interest due to the following: Solar energy makes use of a renewable natural resource that is readily available in many parts of the world. The process used to generate solar energy is emission-free. Technological advances have reduced costs to a point that it can compete with fossil fuel alternatives in specific circumstances. The technology is scalable in that it can be used fordomestic heating purposes or on a larger scale for commercial electricity generation, as solar water heaters are an established technology, widely available and simple to install and maintain Disadvantages The biggest barriers to increasing solar power generation are the cost, the amount of land required for large-scale electricity production, and the intermittent nature of the energy source.In terms of the latter, thermal systems do not work at night or in inclement weather. Storage of hot water for domestic or commercial use is simple, needing only insulated tanks, but storage of the higher-temperature liquids needed to generate electricity on a large scale — or storage of the electricity itself — requires further technological development(F) WIND ENERGY In the country there are areas which are quite windy. Wind energy may be converted into mechanical electrical energy. Now, wind has been utilized for pumping water in rural areas. Wind energy is useful in remote areas helps in saving fossils fuels, would deliver on the spot small quantity of energy which is free pollution environmental degradation.Gujrat is first to starts using wind power. Advantages There are a number of notable advantages associated with wind power: It is a clean, renewable energy source. There is no fuel component, so once built there is no a finite fuel supply or costs associated with such a supply. Wind power can be generated in remote areas, including out in the oceans. It is scalable in that it can be used to generate power in a local area or even at the individual property level, but can also generate large amounts of power that can be added to an electricity grid system.. For land-based wind farms, once the wind towers are installed, the land area around them can be used for other purposes, such as agricultural use. Disadvantages As with any source of energy, there are some drawbacks to wind power. The most significant is that the wind to drive the turbines may be intermittent and that it does not always blow when electricity is needed. Wind energy may only be available 40 percent of the year in some areas versus 90 percent for a fossil-fuel powered plant. New blade design can overcome this problem to a certain extent, as can storing the energy in batteries, but because of these potential drawbacks, the site of the wind farm is key to its success and vice versa.(F) OCEAN ENERGY (TIDAL ENERGY) Tidal power generation depends on the harnessing of rise and fall of sea level due to tidal action. Small tidal power plants have been constructed in china USSR. The most important application of tidal power is electricity generation. In India sites exploitation of tidal energy are gulfs of kutch kombay sunderbans. India could intensify work on ocean thermal energy conversion wave energy. The country is already experience with exploiting tidal energy. The central electricity authority Gujrat electricity board carried out site studies for establishment of tidal plants in golf of kutch. India has excellent OTEC potential some of the best sites in world are known to be located off the Indian mainland island of lakshdeep Andoman nicobar. Total OTEC potential in India is 50000mW which is about 150% of installed power generated capacity in India. PRESENT USES Tidal power has on a small scale been used throughout the history of mankind. It was not until twentieth century that large-scale tidal projects were considered. Today, sites suitable for the utilisation of tidal power exist in many places around the world. DISADVANTAGES -Not yet economically feasible. -Problems with transportation of hydroelectricity. -Technology not developed. ADVANTAGES -Renewable resource. -No pollution. -Produced 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. -Peak output coincides with peak energy demand.(c) Fuel cell Production of electricity by thermal plants is not a very efficient method and is major source of pollution. It now possible to make such in which reactants sre fed continuously to the electrodes and products are removed continuously from the electrolyte compartment. Galvanic cell that are designed to convert theenergy of combustion of fuels like hydrogen, methane, methanol,etc. directly into electrical energy are called fuel cell. One of the most successful fuel cell uses the reaction hydrogen with oxygen to form water. The cell was used for providing electrical power in Apollo space programme. The water vapours produced during the reaction were condensed and added to the drinking water supply for the astronauts. In the cell, hydrogen and oxygen are bubbled through porous carbon electrodes into concentrated aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. Catalyst like finally divided platinum metal are incorporated into the electrodes for increasing the rate of electrode reaction. Efficiency is 70%compared to thermal plant whose efficiency is 40%.(E) A fuel cell that runs on pure oxygen hydrogen produces no waste product. when a reformer is coupled to the fuel cell some pollutant are released(co2)but levels are typically less than conventional fossil fuel combustion in a power plant or an auto-mobile engine.fuel cell could be ideal zero emission power source for vehicle. Fuel cell busses could be tested in a Canada. The current from a fuel cell is proportional to the size of electrode voltage is limited (1.23). Tiny fuel cell running on methanol might used in cell phone, pager, toys, computer, now run by batteries. Bio fuel: based on fuel derived from organic biomass from recently living animals or plants or their by products, has transformed from a niche alternative to fossil fuels (e.g., gasoline, diesel) to become a booming industry. Any liquid that stores energy, which is typically utilized by an engine or generator, can be called a â€Å"fuel.† The term â€Å"bio fuels† encompasses a wide range of fuels, including vegetable oils, animal fats, ethanol, biodiesel (any oil or fat that undergoes trans esterification to more closely resemble mineral-based fuel), and syn fuel (fuel made from gasi fied organic matter, then liquefied to form fuel). The main common trait of all these fuels is that they are derived from organic biomass, rather than minerals. Bio fuels are made using a fairly simple process that typically involves harvesting feedstock, or the raw materials (e.g., soybeans, sugarcane), crushing the feedstock, separating the dry matter from the oil, then re-crushing and/or further processing to extract as much oil as possible. The resulting oil can then either be directly consumed (e.g., by vehicles with specially designed engines), further processed (e.g., into biodiesel), or blended with mineral-based fuel before being delivered to the end user at gas stations and depots around the world (the most common blends in the U.S. are E10 (10% percent ethanol blend) and E85 (85% ethanol blend). Only some biofuels, most notably biodiesel, can be used in traditional internal combustion engines. Other biofuels, such as ethanol, must be blended with mineral-based fuel in order to be used in existing engines. The most common inputs into biofuels vary by country. In the U.S., corn and soybeans are most prevalent, while Europe tends to use flaxseed and rapeseed, Brazil sugarcane, and Asia palm oil. Brazil is in many ways the pioneer of the biofuels industry, having introduced ethanol from sugarcane (and flexfuel vehicles capable of running on ethanol) over 25 years ago as method to reduce dependence on oil imports. a fuel cell uses a catalyst to create a reaction between hydrogen from a fuel and oxygen from the air to generate electricity, with the only byproduct being water. Such fuel cells can be used for power generation and as a replacement for the combustion engine to run cars and other vehicles. Fuel cells have long been used in the U.S. space program, but until the past few years have proved prohibitively expensive for civilian use. Interest in fuel cells was reignited in the late 1990s, as companies began to make breakthroughs in technology. Large automotive manufacturers, such as General Motors and Daimler Chrysler, also started investing in fuel-cell companies and began to design concept fuel-cell powered vehicles. Development, thus far, has focused primarily on protonexchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. This type of fuel cell uses a polymer membrane to separate two subcells, one fed with hydrogen and one with oxygen (through air). On the hydrogen side, the hydrogen breaks down into pr otons and electrons, and the protons migrate through the membrane into the oxygen side. The electrons, on the other hand, are forced to detour through wire connecting metal plates, resulting in a reaction that creates electricity. Other types of cells include the molten-carbonate fuel cell, which is the most efficient design but is very complex and only economical when generating more than 200 kilowatts. Westinghouse is developing a competing design, the solidoxide fuel cell, which operates at extremely high temperatures and has the added advantage that waste heat can be used to drive an auxiliary gas turbine.(F) What are the Challenges to Large-Scale Hydrogen Production? One of the biggest challenges to moving towards large-scale adoption of the â€Å"hydrogen economy† is production of hydrogen itself. A question often raised is whether it takes more energy to produce the hydrogen than you get back when you either drive the car or use it to power a building. There are currently three ways to produce hydrogen: Natural gas, coal, wood and organic waste burn with air and steam at extremely high temperatures. When cooled, the resulting gases contain a significant amount of hydrogen. An electrical current is passed between two electrodes (anelectrolyzer) immersed in water. Hydrogen rises up from the negative electrode and oxygen from the positive electrode. Some bacteria reportedly produce hydrogen, but this method has yet to be exploited commercially The first of these options has traditionally been the most cost-effective. That it still requires the burning of fossil fuels, combined with the rising price for natural gas, however, makes it less attractive as a long-term solution. The second option is simple to establish and can be done on a small or large scale nearest the point where the hydrogen may be needed. However, it also has a major drawback. Although this method has a 98 percent efficiency rate, when you factor in the voltage of the fuel cell, you get back only 40 percent of what you put in There are two powerful arguments for converting electricity into hydrogen, in spite of the inefficiency of the process: The first is the â€Å"use it or lose it† principle. Electrical power itself cannot be stored in its pure form; it needs to be converted to something else. Just as surplus nuclear and gas-fired power stations may store unused power by using it to pump water back up inside a damper as part of an integrated electrical storage system in combination with a hydroelectric power plant, hydrogen can be similarly used to store unused electrical power. Second, electricity stored as hydrogen is versatile. Not only can it be used for re-electrification, it also can potentially be used as fuel for cars or for producing heat. Why Fuel Cells? Fuel cells directly convert the chemical energy in hydrogen to electricity, with pure water and potentially useful heat as the only byproducts. Hydrogen-powered fuel cells are not only pollution-free, but also can have two to three times the efficiency of traditional combustion technologies. A conventional combustion-based power plant typically generates electricity at efficiencies of 33 to 35 percent, while fuel cell systems can generate electricity at efficiencies up to 60 percent (and even higher with cogeneration). The gasoline engine in a conventional car is less than 20% efficient in converting the chemical energy in gasoline into power that moves the vehicle, under normal driving conditions. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which use electric motors, are much more energy efficient and use 40-60 percent of the fuels energy — corresponding to more than a 50% reduction in fuel consumption, compared to a conventional vehicle with a gasoline internal combustion engine. In addition, fuel cells operate quietly, have fewer moving parts, and are well suited to a variety of applications. How Do Fuel Cells Work? A single fuel cell consists of an electrolyte sandwiched between two electrodes, an anode and a cathode. Bipolar plates on either side of the cell help distribute gases and serve as current collectors. In a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell, which most promising for light-duty transportation, hydrogen gas flows through channels to the anode, where a catalyst causes the hydrogen molecules to separate into protons and electrons. The membrane allows only the protons to pass through it. Comparison of Fuel Cell Technologies In general, all fuel cells have the same basic configuration — an electrolyte and two electrodes. But there are different types of fuel cells, classified primarily by the kind of electrolyte used. The electrolyte determines the kind of chemical reactions that take place in the fuel cell, the temperature range of operation, and other factors that determine its most suitable applications.(7)

Aids: Epidemic Of The Century :: AIDS Essays

INTRODUCTION There is no doubt that AIDS is indeed the epidemic of the century. Not only are there many supporting facts and data, visiting urban cities and third world countries prove this point. Furthermore, AIDS is not only highly infectious, it is also the first major incurable epidemic throughout this biomedical revolution that mankind is going through. This epidemic might actually be the one that will completely wipeout the third world. Scientists, government agencies and pharmaceutical companies are scrambling to find a cure to this epidemic but in the mean time we have to find a way to deal with it, if possible. As we continue into the next millennium with all sorts of problems facing humanity, the choice with regard to AIDS is simple, evolve or die! INFECTIVITY The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has two different types of strains. HIV-1 is the North American strain while HIV-2 is the African strain. The only real difference between the two is that HIV-2 has the vpx gene while HIV-1 does not. As you can tell by the name, the virus works by gradually deteriorating the immune system. The virus can infect any cell with CD4 molecules on the cell’s membrane. It seems to specifically destroy or disable the CD4+ T cells. These cells are sometimes called "T helper" cells. They work by signalling other cells to perform their special functions. A normal healthy person usually has a CD4+ T cell count of 800 to 1,200 per cubic millimetre of blood. Once a person’s CD4+ T cell count falls below 200/mm3, a person is diagnosed with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). A person diagnosed with AIDS will usually die of an opportunistic infection, not of HIV/AIDS itself. HIV is a virus and a virus is basically a microscopic bag of protein filled with a strain of DNA or RNA. To be more specific, HIV has a diameter of approximately 1/10,000 of a millimetre and is spherical in shape (see Figure 1-1). The viral envelope consists of two layers of lipid molecules and contains proteins taken from the host cell. There are 72 copies (on average) of a complex HIV protein called Env. Env is made of three or four molecules of a glycoprotein, gp120, that form a cap and a stem consisting of gp41 molecules that anchor the structure to the surface of the viral envelope. HIV belongs to the class of viruses known as retroviruses.

Niemann: Picks Disease Essay -- Medicine Medical Genetics Papers

Niemann: Pick's Disease Niemann Pick disease consists of a group of genetic disorders in which the common feature is a varying degree of sphingomyelin storage in certain tissues of the body. According to the current classification based on the enzymatic defect underlying these disorders, two main groups are distinguished. The first group, which comprises type A, which is characterized by a severe deficiency in acid sphingomyelinase activity, includes infantile neuronopathic form; and type B, an adult chronic form without neurologic symptoms. In the second heterogeneous group called type C, neuro-visceral involvement is massive and lipid metabolism is affected. The sphingomyelin that accumulates in the lysosomes of the Niemann-Pick disease cells is thought to arise from the degradation of cells and their organelles since it is a major component of all mammalian cell membranes, the myelin sheath and the erythrocyte stroma. In Niemann-Pick type C, the main lipid accumulated in patients cells is not sphingomyelin but cholesterol, however, there is a close relationship between sphingomyelin metabolism and cholesterol metabolism. Sphingomyelinase is an acidic lysosomal hydrolase that catalyses the cleavage of sphingomyelin to phosphoryl choline and ceramide. In patients with Pick’s disease its activity is deficient in all lysosome containing tissues. Patients with type A, the infantile form have 0.7% of the normal sphingomyelinase activity with median values in the range of 0-1% , while in patients with adult onset neuronopathic or non-neuronopathic disease the activity range is 0-19% of the normal, with median values in several tissues from 2-8% . This enzyme defect explains the massive deposition of sphingomyelin in tiss... ...sh Medical Journal: 295(6610):1375-1376. 4. Levade, Salvayre, Maret and Blazy. Endogenous and Exogenous Sources of Sphingomyelinin Pick’s Disease A & B. (1988) Inher. Metab. Dis.: 11, 151-157. 5. Maziere, M. Lageron, Polonovski. Alterations in Cholesterol Metabolism in Cultured Fibroblast From Patients with N-P type C. (1987) Inher. Metab. Dis.: 10, 339-346. 6.Liscum and Faust. Low Density Lipoprotein Mediated Suppression of Cholesterol Synthesis: and LDL Uptake is Defective in N-P Type C Fibroblasts. J. Biol. Chem.: 262 (17002-17007). 7. Blanchette, Sokol et. al. Type C Niemann- Pick disease. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. :263, 3411-3415. 8. Levade and Gatt. Uptake and Intracellular Degradation of Flourescent Sphingomyelin by Fibroblasts From Normal Individuals and a Patient With Niemann- Pick Disease. (1987)Biochimica et Biophysica Acta: 918, 250-257. Niemann: Pick's Disease Essay -- Medicine Medical Genetics Papers Niemann: Pick's Disease Niemann Pick disease consists of a group of genetic disorders in which the common feature is a varying degree of sphingomyelin storage in certain tissues of the body. According to the current classification based on the enzymatic defect underlying these disorders, two main groups are distinguished. The first group, which comprises type A, which is characterized by a severe deficiency in acid sphingomyelinase activity, includes infantile neuronopathic form; and type B, an adult chronic form without neurologic symptoms. In the second heterogeneous group called type C, neuro-visceral involvement is massive and lipid metabolism is affected. The sphingomyelin that accumulates in the lysosomes of the Niemann-Pick disease cells is thought to arise from the degradation of cells and their organelles since it is a major component of all mammalian cell membranes, the myelin sheath and the erythrocyte stroma. In Niemann-Pick type C, the main lipid accumulated in patients cells is not sphingomyelin but cholesterol, however, there is a close relationship between sphingomyelin metabolism and cholesterol metabolism. Sphingomyelinase is an acidic lysosomal hydrolase that catalyses the cleavage of sphingomyelin to phosphoryl choline and ceramide. In patients with Pick’s disease its activity is deficient in all lysosome containing tissues. Patients with type A, the infantile form have 0.7% of the normal sphingomyelinase activity with median values in the range of 0-1% , while in patients with adult onset neuronopathic or non-neuronopathic disease the activity range is 0-19% of the normal, with median values in several tissues from 2-8% . This enzyme defect explains the massive deposition of sphingomyelin in tiss... ...sh Medical Journal: 295(6610):1375-1376. 4. Levade, Salvayre, Maret and Blazy. Endogenous and Exogenous Sources of Sphingomyelinin Pick’s Disease A & B. (1988) Inher. Metab. Dis.: 11, 151-157. 5. Maziere, M. Lageron, Polonovski. Alterations in Cholesterol Metabolism in Cultured Fibroblast From Patients with N-P type C. (1987) Inher. Metab. Dis.: 10, 339-346. 6.Liscum and Faust. Low Density Lipoprotein Mediated Suppression of Cholesterol Synthesis: and LDL Uptake is Defective in N-P Type C Fibroblasts. J. Biol. Chem.: 262 (17002-17007). 7. Blanchette, Sokol et. al. Type C Niemann- Pick disease. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. :263, 3411-3415. 8. Levade and Gatt. Uptake and Intracellular Degradation of Flourescent Sphingomyelin by Fibroblasts From Normal Individuals and a Patient With Niemann- Pick Disease. (1987)Biochimica et Biophysica Acta: 918, 250-257.